A surgical instrument is provided, namely surgical scissors. The surgical instrument has liquid-tight heat-shrunk protective covering located at the business end of the surgical instrument which prevents contamination and damage to moving parts of the instrument which otherwise typically occurs between an extended tube portion of the surgical instrument and a head portion of the surgical instrument. Further, the liquid-tight heat-shrunk protective covering provides electrical insulation all the way to the distal tip of a clevis of the surgical instrument by use of a rubber (for example silicone) seal. The surgical instrument has a first blade and a second blade secured to the clevis. The first blade and second blade both have a triangular-shaped back end which allows the blades to fully extend and operate without the triangular-shaped back end of the first and second blade extending beyond the diameter of the clevis or tube of the surgical instrument.
Numerous surgical instruments which utilize a clevis have been invented in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,037,591 to Spivey discloses surgical scissors devices. The surgical scissors devices may comprise an end effector with first and second blade members. The first and second blade members may respectively comprise proximally positioned cams and distally positioned blade ends. Also, the first and second blade members may be coupled at a pivot point by a fastener held in tension along its longitudinal axis by the blade members. A reciprocating shuttle may comprise at least one pin positioned within slots defined by the respective cams of the blade members. Distally-directed motion of the shuttle may cause the first and second blade members to open and proximally-directed motion of the shuttle may cause the first and second blade members to close. Methods and apparatuses for forming the surgical scissors device are also disclosed
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,562,035 to Levin discloses insulated surgical scissors having a cauterizing tip that permits a surgeon the ability to mechanically cut tissue that is purchased between the cutting blades of the scissors and to apply a cauterization current to a precise portion of the seized tissue, thereby minimizing inadvertent burning of surrounding tissue. Both monopolar and bipolar configurations of the insulated surgical scissors are provided.
Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,508 to Cobb discloses a laparoscopic instrument assembly having a removable tip attachable to an actuator, the actuator being provided with an actuator tube disposed for axial movement within a tubular sheath. The removable tip has a pair of blades forming a scissors which are moved between an open position and a closed position by axial movement of a tip tube disposed within a tubular tip casing structure. The tip tube is threaded to the actuator tube and the tip casing structure is threaded to the actuator tubular sheath, and a pair of thumb and finger grips serve to move the actuator tube within the tubular sheath.
However, these patents fail to provide a surgical instrument as defined in the present application. More specifically, these patents fail to define a surgical instrument which utilizes a liquid-tight heat-shrunk protective covering to cover the gap between the extended tube portion and the head portion of the surgical instrument. Further, these patents fail to provide a surgical instrument which utilizes a silicone or rubber seal at the gap (or ‘interface’) of the extended tube and the head portion to electrically insulate and protect the instrument all the way to the distal end of the surgical instrument.